1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hairstyling instruments and devices and particularly to combs with combination elements for selecting and locking hair in position for cutting with a separate scissor, clipper or trimmer.
2. Description of Related Art
Various devices have been utilized to define a particular portion of hair on a person's head for selective cutting, clipping or trimming. These devices range from the simple bowl used to give children haircuts and similar full head cutting guides such as in U.S. Pat. No. 1,182,242; to devices such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,132,699, of a hand operated hair clamp with a spring action, to which a comb is conveniently obversely affixed. A standoff guide, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,359,343, keeps a comb at an adjustable distance from the head for selective length cutting.
Other devices, with a comb being combined with a second element, include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,051,415 and 1,462,167, in which combs are placed in hinged combination with hair straightening elements. In the former, hair is wedged between the comb and an adjacent flat bar to effect the straightening. In the latter patent, a pre-heated bar on the obverse side of the comb teeth is used for the hair straightening after the hair has been combed. U.S. Pat. No. 2,154,120 discloses a rat-tail comb with the "rat-tail" being hinged to the comb section and functioning as a sheath for the comb and as a curling device. In U.S. Pat. No. 681,740 a comb is integrated back to back with a scissor in order to eliminate the necessity of switching between the devices. However, because of their opposite interrelationship they cannot be used in tandem. In U.S. Design Pat. No. 269,820 a comb is integrated with an elongated wide platform member, with what appears to be a spring-like connection. A central longitudinal slot in the platform member appears to permit partial insertion of the comb therein. No function is however described for this device.
None of the aforementioned devices provides for the rapid one handed sequential steps of selective sectioning of hair, combing of the selected section to a desired cutting length, and positive uniform locking of the hair at the desired length for facilitated interfaced cutting with a scissors, trimmer or clipper.